India urged to end caste "apartheid"

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http://www.swissinfo.org/eng/international/ticker/detail/India_urged_to_end_caste_apartheid.html?siteSect=143&sid=7525307&cKey=1171386624000

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India is failing to protect its lower castes who are routinely attacked and shunned because of their social status, a leading human rights group said on Tuesday.

New York-based Human Rights Watch said more than 165 million Dalits -- once known as untouchables -- were "condemned to a lifetime of abuse simply because of their caste".

"Dalits endure segregation in housing, schools, and access to public services," the report titled "Hidden Apartheid: Caste Discrimination against India's Untouchables" said.

"They are denied access to land, forced to work in degrading conditions and routinely abused at the hands of the police and upper-caste community members who enjoy the state's protection."

Dalits make up around 160 million of mainly Hindu India's 1.1-billion population. Despite efforts to tackle prejudice, the age-old caste hierarchy still divides society.